Machine for napping cloth



(No Model.) 2 Sheets'Sheet 1.

E. W. THOMAS. MACHINE FOR NAPPING CLOTH.

No. 478,144. v Patented Ju1y 5, 1892.

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. E. w. THOMAS. MACHINE FOR NAPPING GLOTH.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- (No ModeL) Patentpd July 5, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EDWVARD WV. THOMAS, OF LOWVELL, MASSAOHUSE'ITS.

MACHINE FOR NAPPING CLOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 478,144, dated July 5, 1892.

Application filed April 4, 1890. Serial No. 346,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, EDWAR W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Lowell, in thecountyofMiddlesexand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Napping Gloth, of which the following is a speci fication.

- My invention relates to machines for napping cloth; and it consists in the improved means, hereinafter described, of driving the napping-rolls with a uniform motion.

In the accompanying drawings, on two sheets, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for napping cloth constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of parts of the same showing a part-of the frame and arches, guide-rolls, napping-rolls,

andmy improved means of driving said napping-rolls; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 in' Fig. l of a part of the frame and part of the main shaft, part of the napping-rolls, one of the heads in which said rolls are journaled, and means of driving the same; Fig. 4, an enlarged plan of one end of the stationary belt which rotates the napping-rolls and the stirrup and rod secured thereto, a portion of the belt being in section, arranged between said rod and the other end of said belt.

The frame A is substantially of the usual form and supports arches a, which form a portion of the frame, and in said frame and arches or in stands supported thereon are journaled the main shaft B, carrier-rolls 7c, heating-roll W, and clearing-roll L, all of which are of the usual construction and operation. Heads or spiders C are secured to the main shaft within the frame of the machine, and in said heads or spiders are journaled the napping-rolls D, substantially as described in another application, Serial No. 346,539, filed herewith, said heads or spiders O and napping-rolls D constituting a nappingcylinder. The napping-rolls are each provided with fast pulleys cl, which, instead of being in the form of truncated cones, as described in said application, are cylindrical, and each, instead ofbeing rotated by frictional contact with a pulley supported indirectly by said main shaft, as described in said application, is rotated by a stationary belt H, which passes outside of all said pulleys (Lone end of said belt having secured to it by rivets h a stirrup h, the arms 71 0f which are provided with holes, which surround a horizontal rod 72 supported in stands a, secured to the frame of the machine at opposite sides thereof, and between said rod 7L and the closed end of said stirrup the other end the belt H is passed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and then secured by one or more bolts 71 to a segment 71 of a pulley, said segment being secured to a shaft h, concentrically therewith, which shaft turns freely in a stand a securedto the frame A, the axis of said shaft being horizontal. To the shaft h is secured a radial arm 71. in anearly-horizontal position, and on this arm slides a weight h which is slotted toreceive said arm and may be se cured at any required distance from said shaft by means of a set-screw h, which turns in said weight and thrusts against said arm. By this means the belt is drawn tight against the pulleys d, and the rotation of the heads or spiders 0 causes the napping-rolls to be carried bodily around the axis of the main shaft. The friction of said belt on said pulleys (Z gives to said napping-rolls a rotary motion in the direction indicated by the arrows marked thereon in Fig. 2that is, a socalled backward motion, or, in other words, the surfaces of said napping-rolls where they are in-contact with the cloth (the course of which is indicated by the broken line K n Fig. 1) run in the same direction with sa d cloth, but at a greater rate of speed. It Wlll be understood that each napping-roll has a pulley cl at each end thereof in the usual manher and that the belt 11 and the appliances for tightening the same and keeping the same strained areduplicated at the other side of the machine from that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As the speed of the napping-cylinder is that of the main shaft and the speed with which the napping-rolls revolve about their respective axes is determined bythe speed of the main shaft, and as the amount of action of the napping-rolls is determined by their speed relatively to the speed with which the cloth travels, it is desirable to be able to vary the speed of the cloth. This is accomplished by securing speed-cones J J, of ordinary constructiou, to the main shaft B and to the feed-roll shaft J the latter being driven from said main shaft by a belt j, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) and changing the belt from one set of steps on said cones to another set. In other respects the machine herein described is of ordinary construction and like that described in said application.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the napping-cylinder consisting of heads or spiders and napping-rolls jonrnaled in said heads, said napping-rolls being provided with fast pulleys, a belt extending around all said pulleys and in contact therewith and causing the same to be rotated by frictional contact therewith when said napping-cylinder is rotated, one end of said belt being fast, and a Weight to draw the other end of said belt and to cause a uniform tension thereon, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the napping-cylinder consisting of heads or spiders and napping-rolls journaled in said heads, said napping-rolls being provided with fast pulleys, a belt extending around all said pulleys and in contacttherewith and causing the same to be rotated by frictional contact therewith when said napping-cylinder is rotated, one end of said belt being fast, a lever connected to the other end of said belt, and a weight supported on said lever to cause a uniform tension on said belt, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the napping-cylinder consisting of heads or spiders and napping-rolls journaled in said heads, said napping-rolls being provided with fast pulleys, a belt extending around all said pulleys and in contact therewith and causing the same to be rotated by frictional contact therewith when said napping-cylinder is rotated, one end of saidbelt being fast, a lever connected to the other end of said belt, and a Weight adjustable on said lever to vary the tension of said belt, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 3d clay of March, A. I). 1890.

ED\VARD NV. THOMAS. Witnesses:

ALBERT M. llloonn, A. M. (JHADwIoK. 

